Perfect Date
by JessJessCee
Summary: Arthur has planned the perfect Winter date. Everything goes wrong. FrUK Secret Santa for tumblr user TwinkSilver! Rated T just to be safe.


"Oh, amour! You simply shouldn't have!", the Frenchman delighted, the bright lights from the Christmas tree colouring his face, beautifully. Puffing his chest some, wearing a proud smile, Arthur responded with a smooth, "Well, my darling, nothing is too god for you." And just as Francis was leaning in to give him a proper thank you kiss on the cheek… Arthur woke up.

The Englishman was actually rather quick to get up. He was definitely excited.

Arthur had been planning this night for weeks and he felt like he had a full proof plan. Pick up his date, take him to the fine restaurant that he'd booked reservations at when he'd planned this night, escort him on a nice walk through the park, and have a lovely Christmas evening with his darling Francis.

They'd only recently started dating and it felt like Francis was doing all of the wooing. It's not that the Englishman felt emasculated by the romantic Frenchman, but Arthur wanted his chance to prove that he could be just as charming and romantic as the other.

During the last date to a carnival, sure he had a good time, but he insisted that he handle the next date. He remembered it like it was yesterday: amused with his lover's enthusiasm, Francis agreed. "Of course, mon cher", he began with a lifted brow, "I'd love to see what you have planned." It was genuine. Francis truly wanted to let himself be romanced by the English gentleman, and while Arthur didn't show his delight on the outside, Francis could easily see through his boyfriend's tough exterior.

He knew that he was beaming on the inside.

The Englishman checked the weather for the third time in the past hour. Sunny skies. Snow to be expected late in the night. Sure, it was a bit cloudy, but all of his weather sources said otherwise, so it was fine.

***

Finally the time came! Arthur was dressed in his finest Winter date wear, A lovely light brown sweater that tapered into the slightest V-neck shape. His red scarf peeked from the opening of the V-neck and covered his white turtleneck shirt. And his pants were a simple dark denim. Formal, yet casual. The only thing that refused to work with him was his stubborn hair.  
Oh well, can't have it all.

When the time came, he hopped in his car and headed off to meet Francis.  
Of course, since Francis was visiting, he'd be taking Francis home with him so the remainder of his vacation could be cheap and they could maximize their time together. It only made sense!

Soon enough, he was pulled in front of the hotel. He gave Francis a phone call as he pulled up to the large hotel doors and soon enough, Francis emerged from the luxurious building with his large suitcase.

Arthur was caught off guard by just how beautiful his date was. He was sporting an unbuttoned wine coloured windbreaker with a white plaid scarf lining the sides. Beneath that was an obvious navy turtleneck shirt and a pair of khakis. The short gust of wind made the Frenchman pull his windbreaker closed and button the bottom two buttons. That's when he spotted Arthur in his car. The blonde waved before trotting over with his suitcase, he curls blown to the sides of his face as he moved against the pressure of the breeze.  
Arthur returned the wave, smiling a little. Thankfully, he unlocked his doors just before the Frenchman arrived. First, Francis opened the back doors to put his suitcase away. "Bonjour, lapin!", "Don't speak your silly language around me", he responded lightly- Francis knew he was poking fun though. Francis settled in the passenger seat and the two met for a brief pre-date kiss on the lips.

"Hello, my darling. Are you ready to start our evening?", "But of course."

And so, the two caught up and exchanged pleasantries on their way to the fancy restaurant. Once the pulled up, Francis' eyes grew slightly, "Oh, here? Pulling out all the stops are we?", he grinned back at his lover. "Nothing is too good for you", Arthur responded with a wink, and continued with: "And don't you dare open your door."  
Francis chuckled, "My, what a gentleman~", he cooed. Arthur got out, opened Francis' door for him, once he got out, the Englishman locked the car, then they walked in hand in hand.

This restaurant was one of the finest places in all of London. Expensive, atmospheric, and beautiful. Arthur put down a little cash ahead when he had reserved so that they could sit in front of the grand fireplace and he was quite proud of himself for reserving such a space.

Arthur walked to the podium and was greeted by an older gentleman, "Reservation?", "Yes. Under the name Kirkland. For six-thirty." Francis let go of his boyfriend's hand, caught p in memories from the first time they had come here. He'd completely tuned out as he admired the fine curtains and new paintings.  
The man flipped pages in the book at the desk. "Ah yes. Kirkland… A window seat perhaps?" Arthur blinked, his brows furrowing some at the mere suggestion, "What?", he kept his voice controlled, though, "No. We're in front of the fireplace.", "Yes, well…", the man cleared his throat, "I'm sorry to say, Mr. Kirkland, but we've double booked", he didn't sound sorry, "All seats around the fireplace are booked, including the one you wanted, I'm afraid." That made him mad.

Glancing back at his lover to make sure he wasn't listening, he stepped closer to the podium, whispering in an angry, but hushed tone, "Listen, you. I paid extra for that spot. I wanted that fireplace seat!" Something about the aggression in Arthur's voice seemed to work on the man. He wasn't threatening to pummel him in the street, but the man knew that this irritated customer could put paychecks at risk if he dared to call management… And this green eyed man seemed just like the type of person to do that. The man took a gentle, but slightly urgent tone: "You can have the meal for free, but I simply can't give you a seat that someone else has already taken."

Arthur slumped some, defeated. Sure, he could throw a fit, but it would ruin his, and his lover's date. "Fine. What do you have left…?" A sigh left the Englishman, soft as it was it grabbed the attention of his date. A free meal would be fine, certainly, the seat couldn't be that bad.

The man grabbed two menus and started off into the dining area, "Right this way…" He led the two to a far seat- just across from the seat that Arthur had expected to have. Francis settled in front of the window and Arthur in the chair across from him. "Here are your menus, gentlemen…", the older man said before handing out the two menus. "Your waiter will be here in a moment to get your drink orders."

Francis knew that something was up by the way that Arthur was steadily collecting himself. He decided to pay attention to subtleties for the remainder of the evening. "You've picked a lovely place, mon cher", he began sweetly. That alone caused a lot of his stress to go away- for now at least. The way the light hit Francis from behind, making the edges of his sun kissed skin look completely white. It made him look like an angel. "Yes, well. Only the best", he stammered, slightly. You'd think after dating him for so long that his breath wouldn't be absolutely taken so easily. That wasn't the case.

"Oh, Monsieur Kirkland, you're too kind~", Francis always flirted like it was the first date. And while Arthur knew that not every time that they saw each other had to be extravagant, Francis was worth it.

After a few moments the waiter came and got their drink orders before leaving to fetch the drinks and tend to other tables. The two knew that he would be back soon and decided to actually look at the menu. After a short, but fast look through, both men knew what they wanted.  
They were discussing it as the waiter approached. Francis was watching him from his peripheral. "Okay, so are you ordering, or me?", "I will. What did you want", they were talking fast "The Filet." About that time, the waiter was upon them and interrupted. "Have you two settled on a meal?" he questioned while setting their drinks down, "Yes", Arthur responded. The waiter took out his notepad to record the orders.

Arthur had a surprise for his lover, though. After ordering their meals, he continued on: "Also, for an appetizer we'd like the fondue. And would you bring us two glasses of your finest wine?" Francis was impressed. They didn't have to pay and Arthur was clearly going to jab at them in any way he could. The worst part was, now that it was established without any rules, none could be established, now. The waiter nodded, "Yes, sir." And he was off.  
"My, you're baring no expenses", Francis pointed out.

Just as Arthur was forgetting how much he initially didn't want this seat for them, the crowd behind them at the Englishman's much coveted fireplace began to get loud. Apparently, they had quite a bit to drink. It reminded him that his perfect date night wasn't going perfect. He turned a bit to look at them. Francis could easily tell that it was bothering Arthur. "Amour-", Francis began, "Don't worry, they'll likely be escorted out. This is the sort of place that doesn't tolerate such behavior." He knew Francis was right, but it still bothered him. Mostly because that seat was wasted. There was no way they could take it, even if the couple there were escorted out.  
"Yes, I know, but…" His ideal spot would be empty and ever teasing him. "But nothing. It's fine!", The Frenchman soothed, consoling his boyfriend, "Hrm-", he huffed a little. Truly, he didn't feel any better, but he was going to stifle it for his date's sake. Besides, he still had dinner and the upcoming walk, and even better; the quiet evening. "Yes, you're right. Although I hate to admit it", he teased the Frenchman, earning a grin from the other. Arthur was incredibly relieved that Francis believed him.

From that point, things seemed to get better. Conversation became a nice distraction along with thoughts of the near future. The food came and their dinner was peaceful. Francis' joy was a good distraction for the Englishman. After all, his date was just happy to be there and his joy was contagious. He was only reminded of the loud couple when they were escorted away. And about that time, their appetizer was brought- great timing, honestly.

Everything was going brilliantly, the conversation picked up and the entrees were brought out. Arthur wasn't bothered by the empty table as much as he thought he would be- he was having too good of a time. When the meal was almost done, though… Their conversation was interrupted by the rumble of thunder.

Instantly, Arthur's smile dropped. His attention was brought to the window. Francis paused, turning to follow his gaze. "Oh! Look, it's starting to rain", the Frenchman mused. Francis was indifferent, but Arthur? The rain's presence truly upset him and it was obvious on the Englishman's face. When Francis turned, his blue eyes widened; Arthur looked absolutely disheartened just from the rain! "Is everything okay?" Arthur visibly sunk when he registered the question, "Yes, it's fine, don't worry", the Englishman managed to get out.

Francis knew better. He aimed to get it out of him.

"Did you want to head back to your place, amour?", Francis asked in a soft, gentle voice, "I'm full." Truth was, He'd noticed Arthur's odd behavior from the start. "Just… Let me check something", the Englishman took his phone out, checking the weather radar… … Nothing but rain for the remainder of the night. But the current weather still read only cloudy. He was so frustrated. A long sigh left him, "… Yeah. I'm not hungry anymore, either." Noticing the two men not looking too happy, the fearful waiter moved back to the two men, "Can I get you anything else?", "No", Arthur responded, "We were just leaving."

***

The two had gotten wet from the downpour while running to Arthur's car. Thankfully, the locks were electric, so before they were even three feet to the car doors, the Englishman had unlocked his vehicle for them. He had an umbrella, but it had been in the boot of the car since Arthur didn't expect any rain that day.

The car ride was quiet at first, neither of the men talking, but for two entirely different reasons. Arthur was upset that his day had been ruined, and Francis was concerned for his lover. The only thing that made any sound at all was the hum of the engine and some pop song playing softly on the radio. Francis finally decided to speak, "Arthur…?", "Hm?", "What about the rain made your mood drop so suddenly?", the question was genuine and sprinkled with concern. "It always rains here. Why should today be any different?"

Thankfully, they weren't hitting too many red lights. And Arthur's house was a short trip away. Arthur decided to be somewhat honest, but he didn't want to tell him everything yet, "Well. I expected the skies to be clear." The letdown was still very fresh, and he was feeling particularly emotional at this moment. He needed a few minutes. "I had other plans today, and I specifically chose a day that it wasn't supposed to rain. Or at least rain as much.", "Plans?", "Yes." Arthur clearly didn't want to elaborate, but Francis wanted answers.

"Would you like to talk about it?", "Not really." Francis was determined to get it out of him. But perhaps not now, the Englishman seemed as though he wasn't ready or willing to give answers.

He opted to change the subject, "Did you have any plans for us when we got home?", he questioned, curiosity dancing in his voice. "Something at home?", Arthur perked up a bit, "I do, actually!", "Do tell, amour." Francis' cool gaze was on his boyfriend, who'd perked up at the mention. "Well, I figured we'd decorate my tree and enjoy some hot cider together."  
"Magnifique!", Francis chirped.

Afterwards, he had planned to watch the snow with Francis, but there was no harm in parting the blinds and listening to the peaceful rainfall in his lover's arms. There was still tonight!

Once they got home, Francis shed his windbreaker and scarf and Arthur removed his own scarf, the discarded clothes hanging nicely in the entry way. Shoes were removed and two pairs of house shoes were taken to protect the lovebirds' feet from the cold hardwood floors. "I'll put the cider on then?", Before Arthur could even say yes, Francis was in his kitchen, "You know where everything is?", Arthur called, a faint smile touching his lips, "Yes, and if I need anything, I'll call you."

Arthur busied himself by opening the blinds to the glass sliding door so that the rain could be seen and cast a nice light into the room. Paired with that he turned on his ceiling lights. He recently put in some recessed lighting similar to the situation at Francis' house. He liked how stylish it looked, and it made the room brighter and bigger. "I like what you've done with the place", Francis commented, playfully from the open bar section where he could see into the den. "Why that you, I came up with the idea myself", Arthur playfully jabbed back, earning a laugh from Francis. "I'll be right back, keep the cider coming."

Then he treaded back to his storage room where he kept various decorations. He'd moved his ornament and light box close to the door in anticipation, early in the month in anticipation for this night. The box was fairly light, and an easy push to its destination.

Francis stepped out from the kitchen and joined Arthur in the den. "The apples have to boil a bit. Let's work on the tree." Arthur could tell that he was excited to do this. How could he say no? "Alright, let's put the lights on first", he picked up a box, "These are brand new. They'll work just fine", "Let's test it for good measure…~", the Frenchman plucked the box out of his hands and pulled the light strand out. Seeking the nearest outlet, he plugged them in. "They all work!", "Okay, okay, you get on that side, and I'll be on this side…" They started stringing the branches when Francis piped up again, "Arthur, let's not plug it in until the tree is complete." He was like an excited child. Arthur grinned, "Your wish is my command, dear."

They had a fun time stringing the tree. When they got to the tinsel, Francis would continuously catch his English lover with it, pull him close and kiss him, but he'd also try to tickle his cheeks with the shiny silver decoration. It was a lot of fun. By the time that they got to the beaded layer, Francis had to go tend to the cider "Keep going, amour! I'll be right back!" A soft laugh left Arthur, he was right. Despite being in an ideal situation to finish decorating a tree faster, they were giggling and goofing off. If Arthur didn't get the string of beads on quick enough, they would be there all night.

So he took the beads and draped them over and through the branches to create a wavy effect. Once Francis was back, he was taking out ornaments and setting them out on the table. He didn't have many, so it didn't take too terribly long. By the time they were done, the rich smell of cinnamon and apples wafted through the air, mingling with the fresh pine and the subtle mint smell from the air freshener. It smelled like Winter should smell for the both of them, but what made it feel like Christmas morning already was the presence of each other.

It was getting dark and the storm hadn't let up, but the flashes of lightening wasn't too bad. As Francis put it: it was a lightshow to celebrate them being together. So what if they missed the walk?  
This was perfect.

"Ready?", Arthur questioned, holding up the plug, "Ready", Francis responded, holding up his phone to capture the memory with his camera. "One. Two… Three." He plugged it it and just as the tree lit up, the power went out. All of the lights in the house were off, the heater was out, and the icing on the cake for the date was ruined.

Instead of taking a snapshot, Francis turned on his flashlight. "Hah. This is one for the books, isn't it, lapin?", Francis' smile instantly left when he saw Arthur's face, though. His lover was silently on the verge of tears! "Arthur! Oh, what's wrong? Talk to me." He reached out, caressing his soft, slightly chubby cheek. "Don't cry-", "And why not? Everything I've planned… Nothing has followed through!" Francis took his hand and guided him to sit on the loveseat. "Here. Have a seat. Why would you say that…?" Francis settled next to him and sat his phone away. He pulled Arthur's legs into his lap and held him close to comfort him while he spoke.

"First… We were going out to that restaurant, and I booked the fireplace seat. They double booked and I lost our seat", "But we had a lovely seat. The way the sky coloured your skin was magnifique. And we still got to eat at the restaurant you wanted, non?", "Yes, well… I had planned for a walk afterwards through the park, but the downpour put a stop to that plan…", "Running through the rain to your car was exciting. We can walk another time." "But the power-"

The two's vision had somewhat adjusted to the light, and they could see each other face to face in the dim light only provided by the window. Francis cupped his cheeks and spoke gently, "Arthur, as far as I'm concerned, this has been a successful date." That shocked him. Francis continued on. "We ate at a nice restaurant, sprinted through the rain, and warmed up in your car before spending time together decorating your tree. A date isn't about being precise. I do not care for schedules or what may be considered a perfect date. Not when I'm with my perfect person…", he soothed, softly.

Arthur smiled. "That's better. You know what we have until the electric company fixes the power?", "What's that?", "Hot cider and good company." Francis stood to fetch them each a cup, taking his phone with him to work as a flashlight.

Arthur thought quietly to himself with only the steps and clatters in the kitchen from his loving boyfriend accompanied by the sound of the rain hitting the roof, that this was a wonderful, successful night after all.


End file.
